The Mysterious Department
Arc Four: The Mystery Unravels
Chapter Twenty: Valentine's Day is a Pain
It was roughly, almost two years since Hermione had joined the force. And her life had changed so much. She had access to a whole new world at her fingertips, one that came with wonder but also horror and troubles due to her job as an artifact hunter. And yet, she loved it. She knew the dangers, she knew the stakes at risk, but she had finally met people who cared for her. Who treated her as an equal, and not as an annoying know it all.
Dora was her close friend, practically like a sister to her. Luna was her friend too, but the one that was slightly odd yet everyone respected. Ron and Ginny were also great pals, and through hanging out with Ron, she got to know the famous Harry Potter a bit better too.
She even made progress with Bellatrix, the two of them on equal footing ever since the pureblood case. Bellatrix respected Hermione more and saw her as capable of taking care of herself. Bellatrix no longer tried to keep her away from the danger by trying to bench her or trick her away, but she did still keep a wary eye on her, while Hermione protected Bellatrix's back as well.
There had been fun moments and then there had been less fun ones, in which the every heavy threat of Apophis hung over their heads, as did the issue of Bellatrix trying to seek revenge against others for Tom, her old partner's death. But all in all, Hermione couldn't ever imagine going back to how she had used to live life. It was just impossible to do so.
There was so much to do, to explore, and Hermione enjoyed being kept on her toes. She was so busy, that she sometimes didn't have time for a quieter moment in life, like being able to go out with Ron and just enjoy a nice meal. Or, even realizing that it was a date until it was too late.
"What is up with all this décor?" Hermione had asked when she strode into her office on Friday. There were hearts floating in the air and sappy music playing from the walls. Dora was going around, setting things up with her wand. When she saw Hermione, coming in with her leather briefcase and in her suit and pants with the wizarding robes overlaying them, she turned to her and sprinkled heart confetti all over Hermione's neat outfit. "Tomorrow's the day of love. Thought I'd help celebrate it with you all."
"So, witches and wizards don't celebrate thanksgiving, or Christmas, but you celebrate valentine's day?" Hermione questioned, using her wand to get rid of the sickening sprinkles. She never was one for this day, namely because she never had a sweetheart to share it with. So each year, she sort of stamped it out from her memories and she's quite surprised each time it comes around.
"Those two holidays are not from our culture. Winter solstice is the closest we get to a winter time celebration. But Valentine used to be a wizard and he made love potions by trade, which helped those who needed some extra lovin'," Dora winked at the saucy implication.
"Isn't that illegal?" Hermione asked as she sat down at her desk. There was a dancing heart animated on it, and she would have crushed it if she knew it wouldn't hurt Dora's feelings. But Hermione really didn't like this holiday.
"It is now. But not back in the day. So," Dora leaned in on Hermione's desk. "What are you doing tomorrow?"
"I'm hanging out with Ron."
"You have a date!" Dora exclaimed gleefully. "Tell me all about it! Did he ask you out, or did you?"
"It's not a date-" Hermione blinked. Oh shite. How had she not noticed this before. "Oh no." She moaned out, refraining from slapping herself in the face. "I don't want him to get the wrong idea. How do I tell him it's not a date!" she exclaimed with mild panic and turning to Dora who frowned.
"What do you mean it's not a date?"
"He asked me about hanging out tomorrow and I said yes because I haven't had a chance to with him in a long time, and I didn't realize until now what tomorrow was!" His more timid state and the way he shyly looked at her when he'd asked made more sense. He had been asking her out! She didn't want to presume and think that he liked her, but what else could a date on this mean?
Shite. She didn't want to lead him on. Because she liked him as a friend but nothing more.
"Oh," Dora said in understanding. "Well, I don't know-"
Loud cursing came from the hallway as Bellatrix was undoubtedly attacked by some of the mechanical cupids Dora had put up. "Who put these accursed things up?" she screamed and Dora winced. "I should probably get that." She ran off to stop her aunt before she destroyed anything.
It was with a feeling of dread that Hermione went to her date with Ron. She kept trying to think of excuses to skip out on it, relating to work, but she always stopped herself from doing so, thinking that it would be rude to do that to him. So she would have to grin and bear it, and tell him afterwards that this didn't mean anything.
She didn't want to dress too over the top but also not too casually, so she settled on a sweater under shirt combo that made her look smart. When she got to the cafe they were supposed to meet at, she was distinctly uncomfortable with all the confetti and valentine's day imagery floating around. The cafe was packed, because apparently it was a popular place to go to for this holiday.
Hermione found Ron waiting for her at the table, dressed up in a suit and bowtie.
This was definitely meant to be a date. She winced internally but sat down in front of him, plastering on a fake smile. "Hi."
"I'm so happy you could make it."
"Well, we haven't seen each other in a while, so I figured why not." She hoped that was neutral enough of a response. They small talked for a bit, before Ron ordered for them, insisting that he pay for the meals. They were about halfway through them, having to talk loudly over the chatter of the other patrons, when someone barged right through the small tables to theirs and called out Hermione's name.
"Hermione, get your things, we need to leave," Bellatrix ordered, the sleek black trench coat she had over her shoulders swirling around dramatically as she announced this.
Hermione was so startled she almost dropped her tea cup. "Why, what happened?"
"Just get your things. We must make haste, and now," Bellatrix's tone brokered no more discussion.
Hermione scrambled to get her things, shooting Ron an apologetic look. "So sorry- but work. I gotta go."
Ron just watched wide eyed as Hermione had to rush out, though she was grateful she had an out for the date.
As soon as they went outside the cafe, Bellatrix didn't even let Hermione pull her coat on properly before they apparated away. Hermione would never get over the sensation of this and she dropped to her knees when Bellatrix landed them away.
"What's going on?" she asked, panting as she recovered and got to her feet.
"An artifact set off our globe alarm. We need to find it."
"What kind of artifact."
Bellatrix scowled deeply. "The worst kind. A love artifact."
Ah, seemed like Bellatrix wasn't a fan of love at all. Shouldn't be a surprise.
"What's it do?" Hermione asked as she followed Bellatrix in the cobblestone town that looked like it could be in Sweden; the two taking some dark alleys to get to where they were needed.
She didn't have to wait long for an answer, because she could hear screaming coming from the town square.
"That," Bellatrix responded and pointed to the sky where a Cupid with bows and arrows was hovering on baby angel wings and shooting down at the crowd, piercing them with his arrows. The people who were hit didn't seem hurt, but instead became love crazed and threw themselves at the nearest person next to them.
Whatever festival had been going on around here was now breaking up.
"Muggles found an old object, thought to use it as a decoration for the festival, without knowing it was an artifact that when activated would use it's magic to indiscriminately target anyone and make them fall in love."
Hermione's mind was already analyzing the situation. "We'll need to calm down the humans and oblivate them. We can't have this be on the news. And then we'll need to target the Cupid and shoot it down."
But the thing moved fast, flittering about almost like a humming bird.
"As easy as cake," Bellatrix said, at ease on the field like this. She tossed Hermione something from within the deep reaches of her coat pocket. It looked like a light bulb, converted to hold a liquid inside that looked like a mini storm, with gray howling winds and lighting flashes.
"What's this?"
"It'll cause a storm that will wash away any human recollection of the event. We'll be okay because we're immune to it's affects. But I want you to use it. I'll take down the Cupid."
Hermione nodded her head and they were off, separating ways.
"Oi, baby face!" Bellatrix hollered at the Cupid. It was a baby doll wearing a diaper and wielding a bow and arrows but it's teeth were sharp and it's eyes shone red. It grinned maliciously at having a new target. "Down here. Come and get me!" the darker haired witch taunted and then began to sling her wand against his barrage of arrows.
Hermione got a bit out of the way, opening up the light bulb and watching as the liquid came up, swirling up and into the atmosphere. Immediately the sky darkened and thunder rolled in the distance as rain began to fall, causing a cool low mist to arise.
The panicked people stopped shoving their way out, instead walking out slowly, faces blank. Crushed fruits and foods and other objects that lay under foot were drenched in rain, some washing away. Hermione stared into the sky, watching bolts of blue and red illuminate the sky as Bellatrix battled the Cupid. It wasn't long before Bellatrix had him knocked down from the sky and cast the spell on it to neutralize it for now.
Hermione approached her, shivering a bit because she was drenched. So was Bellatrix, her curls plastered to her skin. She picked the object up, and this close, Hermione could see it was a statue, painted and made of light material. Bellatrix put it into her magically expanded pocket.
"We've got the artifact, and once we bring it back and Luna neutralizes it properly, then we should be able to see the effects of the love arrows on the people stop working."
"Who knew love could be so dangerous," Hermione said with a small laugh.
Bellatrix pulled a long face. "Oh, it's downright terrible. The things these arrows do to others. It keeps escalating until the person who is affected ends up killing their beloved, or whoever it was their eyes first set on when they were pierced by the arrow."
Hermione swallowed deeply. "Why can't there ever be a nice artifact?"
"Because the world is not a kind place. We both know that," Bellatrix answered simply. They turned to leave when Bellatrix scowled and picked up the foot she had just put down. She hadn't noticed it before but she'd stepped on a broken arrow head, pointing up and partially covered by rubble.
"Stupid arrow," she grumbled, setting her foot down where it was safer, and the two of them walked off, to deliver their item to Luna.
The office was busy for a Saturday that was a holiday. Though that might have to do with how suddenly there was a pool in the lobby where their desks usually were, those aforementioned desks pushed against the walls.
"Um," Hermione said when greeted with the sight, because sometimes she still couldn't get over the oddity of this department.
"Luna!" Bellatrix called out and from the glimmering blue pool, a scuba diver head popped out. The hatch opened and Luna's face was there.
"Yes, what is it now?"
They approached the pool edge. "We've got the Cupid. We need you to neutralize it and store it," Bellatrix instructed.
"You'll have to wait a bit. I'm in the delicate process of extracting the drains in our department's network with Nymphadora right now because the pipes decided to have an attitude today of all days. You know how fickle this place is. If we don't do it, we might flood." She closed the hatch and descended once more.
That did not sound like fun work.
"Fine. Hermione and I will stay here. Unless you'd rather go back to your pathetic date," Bellatrix cut in, directing that towards Hermione.
Hermione was cut off guard by that comment. "Pathetic?" and suddenly she was filled with the need to protect herself. "What do you mean by pathetic?"
Bellatrix snorted. "Honestly. The Weasel boy? You could get someone so much better than him. Don't lower your standards."
Hermione's mouth flapped open and closed. "I didn't ask you for your opinion on the matter! Ron is a perfectly nice boy."
"Exactly. A nice boy. He's not grown enough for you," Bellatrix berated.
Hermione snorted. "As if you're any more grown than him. You're extremely puerile at the worst of moments. Like insulting my friend in this moment for no reason at all!"
Bellatrix's smirk dropped, and an oddly puzzled look came to her face, like she didn't know why she'd said all this. She shook her head, her curls already back to their bouncy consistency despite being sopping wet before. Hermione's curls were ruined.
"Nevermind," Bellatrix murmured, back in a sullen and grumpy mood. "I'll be at my desk." And she edged over to it, squeezing in between the wall and her desk. Hermione huffed and went to the bathroom to fix her wet state before she would go home. She figured if the artifact was captured, then her work here was done. She'd have to owl Ron and apologize once more for the mishap with their failed date.
Monday at work was regular. The swimming pool was still there, so Hermione tried to sit as comfortably as she could at her squished in desk, reading her files and organizing the material. Ever so often she could feel a prickling sensation like someone was staring at her, but every time she looked up to glance across the pool, Bellatrix wasn't looking at her.
Bellatrix hadn't talked to her ever since their odd conversation about Ron, never in the house when Hermione was around. And with Dora and Luna both busy with the pipes, only the sound of gently splashing water and the flipping of pages could be heard in the office today.
Tuesday went by much in this same manner, Hermione receiving a letter from Ron saying all was alright and that he understood she had a very important job. Her night classes at Hogwarts continued. This time she was taking the second level of DADA and a potions 101 crash course. Ron wasn't in either of those classes, but they saw each other after the classes let out and they stopped to have a chat or to see his sister.
It was by Wednesday that Hermione started to get really annoyed. "Would you stop staring at me?" she asked, annoyed and without flicking her gaze from the paper.
There was a long pause, before, "who? Me?"
"Yes, you. Who else."
"Could be anyone else in this room," Bellatrix said lackadaisically.
Hermione snapped her head up angrily. "Like who? It's only us two." Blaise had gone home for a family emergency and wouldn't be back for two weeks.
Bellatrix shrugged but looked away, a flicker of annoyance on her face. "The knight in armor is alive whether you believe it or not."
Hermione's head snapped to the unassuming armor in the corner of the room. She felt a chill run down her back. She did not like that. She angled her body so she could keep an eye on it as she continued to do her work.
"Alright, we're all done," Dora announced about half an hour later, as she pulled herself from the pool in her clunky scuba outfit. "We should be good to go for months now."
Luna pulled up next to her.
"What's even down there?" Hermione asked, curious.
"Just a bunch of old pipes. They carry water throughout the whole wizarding world, even if these pipes aren't connected to the houses. It only works because we caught an artifact and outfitted it to make it work for us. But it's fickle and needs to be maintained otherwise the water system could collapse."
"Oh, that is fascinating," Hermione was all ears. "What kind of artifact?"
"An old aqueduct. The Romans were notorious for creating a chain of water supplies and this artifact is imbued with that emotion and power behind it," Dora finished explaining as she stripped out of her outfit.
Luna had already tossed hers aside and was using her wand to shrink the pool until it became nothing but a small drain on the floor. Desks went flying back to their respective spots, without anything on them shifting. Hermione hadn't expected to be dragged along when that happened, so she let out a surprised little sound as she was set down on the floor.
It was drowned out by a large noise coming from the globe on Luna's desk which spun and stopped on Germany, Munich.
"Looks like we've got an artifact. I sensed another one coming," Luna hummed, tapping a finger on it all knowingly.
Hermione was already scrambling for her badge and suit jacket but Luna waved it off. "If this is what I think it is, you won't be needing a suit, but another outfit entirely," she said.
"And what exactly is it?" Bellatrix asked, approaching them.
"I've been tracking the case for a little while now. I'll send you the information by owl. Just get there, and track it down," Luna said, knowledge whirling in her head on what it could be.
"Got it," Bellatrix said and grabbing Hermione by the wrist, apparated them there before Hermione could ask more questions.
